If the story is true, former Six Finger Satellite John Maclean was pushed back into music by his buddy James Murphy who, after hearing his new sounds, wondered if “John” should change his name to “Juan” (after Detroit techno legend Juan Atkins). John/Juan’s band, The Juan Maclean, would work out just fine as the second-best-known band from team DFA, but change over time, from a band based on instrumental freakouts, to a more dance-floor-friendly outlet fronted by LCD Soundsystem keyboard/vocalist Nancy Whang (the coolest chick in dance music?), relegating the mercurial Maclean to Vince Clark duties. As a band, the Juan Maclean seems a funny middle ground between the disco and techno factions competing for the crown of “still relevant.” This is evidenced on the recently released Juan Maclean DJ Kicks compilation, which has Motor City legends like Rick Wilhite and Theo Parrish rubbing elbows with the skinny-jean sound of Still Going and Shit Robot. For such a temperamental guy, Maclean sure seems to want everyone to get along! Perhaps that’s best, as the Happy Daze BBQ kicks off at 6pm and also includes co-headliner DJ Falcon of the Daft Crew, and talented—and varied—locals, from fidget buzz saws Santiago & Bushido, to Greenskeepers, Dark Wave Disco, Gramaphone’s Michael Serafini, Diz, Justin Long, and quite a few more. And yes, as a BBQ, there will be free summer grill favorites for early attendees. (Duke Shin)
June 4 at Green Dolphin Street, 2200 North Ashland, (773)395-0066, 6pm-4am.
Related Stories
Once an “It” Band, Still an Influencer: The Strokes Get It Done During a Tight Lolla Set Julian Casablancas has an inimitable voice that has not so much aged well as not aged at all, and Hammond’s guitar work remains glorious. You don’t have to dance at a Strokes show but you do need to move: the band’s best tracks are fast, fierce and over before you know it, the abrupt ending being something of a Strokes…
Do It Again: A Preview of Brian Wilson at Horseshoe Hammond While today former bandmate Mike Love leads a group calling itself the Beach Boys, that band features no Brian Wilson. Wilson’s group, on the other hand, includes original Beach Boys member Al Jardine as well as late-prime-era Beach Boy Blondie Chaplin, and is jaw-droppingly facile at recreating the Beach Boys sound.
Never Give Up: A Preview of Fantastic Negrito at Martyrs' When Fantastic Negrito emerged onto the music scene in 2015, he looked to all the world like a new, emerging artist. In fact the man born Xavier Dphrepaulezz—winner of that year’s Tiny Desk Contest for his song and video “Lost in a Crowd,” which showcase a sound that builds upon the blues, but didn’t conform to most people’s ideas about…
Especially For You: A Preview of the Smithereens at the Memorial Opera House Serious music scholars all, the Smithereens distilled their musical loves into something that ultimately sounded like nobody but them. Diken points to Gary Lewis and the Playboys as an influence; it’s worth noting that the studio cats who played on those records—immortal pop tunes like “Count Me In” —included Leon Russell and drummer Hal Blaine.
RECOMMENDED
